


From The Ashes

by dragonsFall



Series: Sparks of Magic [3]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Description of Injuries, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied abuse, Kept as non-graphic as possible but the warning still stands, Mages Familiar Izou, Mages Familiar Marco, Mentioned/Implied Attempt At Execution, Summoning, Teen Izou, mentioned murder attempt, teen marco
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:55:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26363785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonsFall/pseuds/dragonsFall
Summary: Izou meets with an old friend who has just returned to their home within the Plane of Fire.
Relationships: Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco & Izou
Series: Sparks of Magic [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1909924
Comments: 6
Kudos: 48





	From The Ashes

The paws of the six-tailed fox seemed to scarcely touch the scorching earth beneath it as it ran. Much too focused on the end goal of its travel. Someone that resided in the Plane of Fire with it had just returned. It wanted to see him. Make sure he was okay. As it crested one of the small, rocky hills that dappled the landscape of lava and dark stone, it got a good look around. The creature was looking for its returned friend. And there! There was who it was looking for.

It didn’t look like this small teenager should have been able to climb up to the outcropping he was sitting on. Considering how blue, purple, and red his body was. It would have taken a great effort to get up there. Rather than dwelling on it for much longer, the graceful Kitsune left the hill and followed the path up to where the blond was sitting. Dangling his feet and looking like the entire world was resting on his shoulders.

As the Kitsune got closer, it allowed itself to be consumed in fire. Changing its form to that of a teen with long black hair and a kimono that he had received during his most recent summoning. Much better than the drab white robe he had when he was summoned. His soft brown eyes were filled with sorrow as he looked over the extent of damage done to his friend, moving to his side to get a good look. It wasn’t hard since nothing was covering up the injuries. And his friend didn't seem to notice him at all.

There was a v-shaped welt on his neck, covering some of the deep purple finger marks circling his neck. Strangulation and hanging this time around it seemed. His wrists looked like they had been rubbed raw by restraints. Either from his summoner or whoever had decided to hang the poor familiar. They couldn’t die but that didn’t mean they couldn’t feel pain. His chest was a mess of stab wounds, scabbed over but looking irritated. Like someone kept bothering them. The Kitsune was sure that if he looked elsewhere there would be more. There were more bruises but none of them looked as bad as the ones circling his throat. Clearly much older. The Kitsune had to wonder why the Phoenix seemed to be keeping his flames from healing the damage done to his body.

Finishing up his observation, he cleared his throat. “Do you mind if I join you?” He asked.

Either he was deep in thought or just jumpy but the small blond had jerked and turned to look at him. The Kitsune was much too observant to miss the small amount of fear that was present in those blue eyes. It faded pretty quickly once the Phoenix realized it was a friend. A good friend.

“No” Was the answer. The Kitsune suppressed a wince at how horrible he sounded. Like it hurt to speak.

The Kitsune would sit down beside him, not minding at all when the younger burrowed himself into his side. He wrapped an arm around him, gently tracing soothing shapes into his back. Didn’t seem like they had inflicted any damage there. Bastard must have liked seeing the pained expressions the poor Phoenix must have made. Not all mages were kind to their familiars. But it always seemed that he ended up with the worst of the worst. The power he granted seemed to corrupt.

“Oh, baby bird…” He murmured in a soft voice, bringing his free hand up to card through the blond hair before letting it drop to brush against the cheek that wasn’t pressed into him. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. But do you want to tell me what happened this time?”

“Izou..” Started the blond before he steeled himself then continued. “He tried to kill me before they captured him for execution, yoi. It..” He trailed off, deciding he didn’t want to go through his former mages descent into madness. Drunk on power. “I don’t think I want to go back” There was something he wanted to say but didn’t say it. But Izou could guess as to what it was ‘humanity would be better off without the power of the Phoenix’

“If that’s your decision. But I think, one day, you’ll find someone who treats you right. They’ll give you a name and treat you like you should be treated. There’s no rush to go back, take your time” He offered a smile, much different from the usual smirk he gave when he was teasing or there was some juicy gossip he couldn’t wait to share. That could wait until later. For now, he just wanted to be here for the Phoenix. “Get some rest, baby bird”

“Thank you, Izou..” He didn’t stay awake for much longer, relaxing into the Kitsunes side. Breath evening out. The return trip to the Ether always drained a familiar of their energy. He doubted the Phoenix had much, to begin with.

“Any time…” Izou looked at the small blond, eyes roving over the injuries on his body. They would heal over time. As all things do. But the harm went much deeper than the physical wounds. He shook his head and looked out over the fiery landscape of their home to wait for when the Phoenix was rested.

<><><><><>

<><><><><>

The Phoenix had been roving over the fiery landscape of his home, wings carrying him to destinations unknown when he spotted it. A beacon that meant a summoning was underway. There had been quite a few of them today but they were always gone within an instant. But this one was staying longer than the others. Against his better judgment, he went in closer for a look. 

He changed in mid-air, bare feet landing on the rocks beneath him as he peered through. Like a curious puppy, he cocked his head to the side at what he saw. A freckled teenager with dark hair framing his face. Eyes closed in concentration. Why hadn’t a familiar come to him yet? The Phoenix glanced around, noting how empty his home was. Summoning day was always lively but the area seemed so dead. Like no one wanted this mage. Why? Was there something sinister lurking inside him?

The Phoenix turned his blue eyes back to the summoning beacon. “Before I decide, show me his heart” He suppressed the yoi that threatened to come after. It would screw up the spell. Learned that the first time he accepted a summoning. Even though it was a simple spoken command 

A mass of colors appeared over where his heart was. Determination, regret, self-loathing, a charisma that drew the Phoenix in like a moth to a flame and above all else, good. The presence of good didn’t mean anything but he felt that there was something different about it. Like he wanted to be better than he had been in the past.

Would it be wrong if he were to accept? He had told Izou he didn’t plan on going back and he always stuck to his word. Well. Almost always. The Phoenix had said that so long ago. And his friend had been gone for a while. Having accepted another summoning.

“Cmon. Work with me…” filtered through the beacon. Sound never came through yet it had with this mage. And the Phoenix found his mind already made up when he saw the aggravation and desperation in those stormy grey eyes.

The Phoenix stepped closer to the beacon, already feeling it tugging at his heart and willing him to accept. A swallow then he was speaking the words he had nearly forgotten with how long he had been in the Ether. “I, Phoenix, have seen the humans heart. I wish to bind myself to him until death do us part. Mage and familiar. The fire of the Ether will be his to wield until we part at his passing. I accept this summoning”

Then he was stepping through and back into the world of humanity.

**Author's Note:**

> Want to request a fic? Feel free to contact me on my Tumblr: clockworkPanic


End file.
